Press release

Six finalists had the opportunity to face the judges in Oman during the IRU World Congress this week, culminating in a live pitching session during the final plenary, when the jury awarded the USD 100,000 direct investment prize to CargoX and Zeleros Hyperloop.

The Startup competition is aimed at mobility, transport and logistics startups, encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship. IRU and Road Ventures SA chose the six finalists for the most promising innovations in the road transport industry; today’s decision was made by judges Patrice Crisinel from Road Ventures and James Miners from Fongit.

Boris Blanche, Managing Director of IRU, said, “Both CargoX and Zeleros stood out for their combination of viability and invention. These are two concepts which truly break the mould, while offering tangible business propositions. We wish both businesses every success for the future.”

Patrice Crisiniel Road Ventures Managing Director, said, “This has been a tough decision for the jury as we had six strong finalists. But we are delighted to be able to select two winners today. CargoX and Zeleros are both great examples of the ways in which technology can be used to drive improvements and efficiency within the transport and logistics industry.”

CargoX is the first ever blockchain-based platform for the Bill of Lading. Traditionally, Bill of Lading transactions have been done via couriers, often making it a slow, expensive process, with a heightened risk of loss. Cargo X’s technology circumvents the need for physical transactions, using a blockchain platform for a 100% secure transfer of documents, taking place in seconds and reducing costs by up to 85%. Founded by CEO Stefan Kukman in 2017, CargoX is based in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

CargoX COO Igor Jakomin commented, “Winning at such a prestigious event is foremost a great honour, but also a strong confirmation that our CargoX platform with Blockchain Document Transaction System technology truly matters for business! This confirms that we are solving a problem for companies in the shipping and cargo industry as a whole and that we are doing it the right - in a flexible, neutral, open way.”

Founded by CEO David Pistoni Perez, Zeleros’s ambition is to use hyperloop technology to change the way humanity moves and connect the world at high speeds - enabling long-distance travel at +1000 km/h. With a focus first on cargo, then passenger transport, what makes Zeleros unique is that all the technology sits inside the vehicle and not the infrastructure. The company’s main levitation and propulsion technologies in their fully autonomous vehicles reduces infrastructure complexity and lowers construction and maintenance costs.

David Pistoni added, “We are delighted to be here in Oman and we are keen to connect with partners to collaborate with us – to make hyperloop a reality.”

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About IRU
IRU is the world road transport organisation, promoting economic growth, prosperity and safety through the sustainable mobility of people and goods. Founded in 1948, IRU has members and activities in more than 100 countries. IRU conceived TIR in 1949 and continues to manage the system.